Conference PaperPDF Available

Feral Goats in the Hawaiian Islands: Understanding the Behavioral Ecology of Nonnative Ungulates with GPS and Remote Sensing Technology

January 2010

Conference: Vertebrate Pest Conference
At: University of California, Davis
Volume: 24

Authors:

Mark W Chynoweth

Utah State University

Christopher A. Lepczyk

Auburn University

Creighton M. Litton

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Susan Cordell

US Forest Service

Nonnative feral ungulates have both direct and indirect impacts on native ecosystems. Hawai‘i is particularly susceptible to biological invasions, as the islands have evolved in extreme geographic isolation. In this paper we explore the ecological impacts of nonnative feral goats in the Hawaiian Islands, including what is known and what remains to be determined. Understanding how invasive vertebrates impact island ecosystems is important as it provides an appropriate context for developing contemporary solutions to pressing management problems. A current lack of knowledge, such as the behavioral ecology of goats and their impacts on specific species and plant communities, limits the effectiveness of ecological restoration and conservation in Hawai‘i. Emerging technologies in wildlife tracking and remote sensing will enable a better understanding of the behavior and ecological impacts of these nonnative animals in what is already a highly degraded ecosystem.

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       

      

       

        

      

     

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 

         

     

      



       



          

      



   



       

      

      



      

 

       

      

      



    



  

        

 

        

       

       

 

         

     

       

        





         

        

       

        

      

     

      



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

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



  





        



       



         

     

 

  

      

          

       

 

         

         

        

        

         



         



        

      

         

     

         

        

       





      

   

         



         

       

     



  

         



        

      

       

       







         

      











        

      



       

         

        





      

       

       

      



       

       



     



        

      



     

       

        

      

     

      



      

    



       

   

          





 

      



        

     

    

        

       



        

         



       



        

     

         

         



      

       

         

        

       



         

       





       





      

       

 

       

      



       

      





        

       

         

         

        

        

       

        

     

    

   





     

      



 

       

       



        

        

     

        



       



       



        

      



       

    

       

      



      



        

       

   

 



     









 

     

       



        



       

      

      

      

       

      

     

      

 





         

       

      

        

      

       



      



       



        

 

            

         

       



   

       

     



      

       

     

     



         

        

    



        



         

       

      

      

      

       

      







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

      

  

         

       



       

    



       

      

       







        



        

        

      

        

          

        

     

        



      

        

     

     

        



       

     

      

        



      



       

     

       

       

       

     

        







      

        

      



      



        

       





        

       

    

       





       



       

         

   







      



       

 

       



        



      

    

       

      

      

 

      

  

         

      



      

    



      

     

  



       

      

      

      







         



       

      

      

         

         















 



  







    

       

        









        



  

   

      



          



           









 

   

        

       



          









  





            



       

       



     



          

 



          

       



        







       

    



    









  



      

       

 



         

       



     



        



     

       



       





          

      

           



  

      





     



           

        

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Differential change in indigenous versus endemic plant cover over time in an invaded Hawaiian landscape

Article

Full-text available

May 2024
PLANT ECOL

Endemic island plant species under threat due to anthropogenic activities may be more susceptible to decline than their indigenous counterparts. Our study aimed to determine whether endemic and indigenous plant cover in Hawaiian forests have been differentially affected by resource availability, disturbance, and invasion over time. We resurveyed 25 plots (400 m² each) across gradients of elevation, precipitation, slope, and understory light availability in forested conservation areas on the island of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, USA. We assessed how these abiotic factors relate to absolute cover (previous, current, and change over time) of endemic and indigenous Hawaiian plants, as well as that of non-native species. Endemic species had a net loss of cover (−45%) since previous surveys 27 to 45 years earlier, while indigenous species had a net gain (+ 29%), as did non-natives (~ 1%). Endemic species cover was associated with higher elevations in both prior surveys and in 2018, and with steeper plot slopes in prior surveys. However, change in endemic cover over time was negatively correlated with slope, likely due to landslide disturbance or the proliferation of shade-tolerant invaders in low-light conditions where no disturbance was evident. Change in endemic species cover over time was not clearly related to resource availability (light and precipitation). Given the differences in responses of endemic and indigenous species to abiotic conditions, and that the endemic species in this study were more susceptible to decline than indigenous species, the results of this study indicate that generalizations about natives as a single group can be misleading.

Differential change in indigenous versus endemic plant cover over time in an invaded Hawaiian landscape

Preprint

Full-text available

Jan 2023

Endemic island plant species under threat due to anthropogenic activities may be more susceptible to decline than their indigenous counterparts. Our study aimed to determine whether endemic and indigenous plant cover in Hawaiian forests have been differentially affected by resource availability, disturbance, and invasion over time. We resurveyed 25 plots (400 m ² each) across gradients of elevation, precipitation, slope, and understory light availability in forested conservation areas on the island of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, USA. We assessed how these abiotic factors relate to absolute cover (previous, current, and change over time) of endemic and indigenous Hawaiian plants, as well as that of non-native species. Endemic species had a net loss of cover (-45%) since previous surveys 27 to 45 years earlier, while indigenous species had a net gain (+ 29%), as did non-natives (~ 1%). Endemic species cover was associated with higher elevations in both prior surveys and in 2018, and with steeper plot slopes in prior surveys. However, change in endemic cover over time was negatively correlated with slope, likely due to landslide disturbance or the proliferation of shade-tolerant invaders in low-light conditions where no disturbance was evident. Change in endemic species cover over time was not clearly related to resource availability (light and precipitation). Given the differences in responses of endemic and indigenous species to abiotic conditions, and that the endemic species in this study were more susceptible to decline than indigenous species, the results of this study indicate that generalizations about natives as a single group can be misleading.

Long-term decline of native tropical dry forest remnants in an invaded Hawaiian landscape

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2019
BIODIVERS CONSERV

Tropical dry forests are among the most threatened vegetation types as a result of human activities, yet relatively few datasets exist that give insight into the long-term impacts of human activity in these diverse biomes, especially in insular systems. In this study we revisited remnant dry forest patches previously surveyed in 1950 and 1970 in the Mokulēʻia Forest Reserve on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi to assess long-term native woody species’ persistence. Between June 2016 and May 2017 we resurveyed the seven original remnants and found that natives declined in basal area in every plot except one, and maintained basal area dominance over non-natives in only three of seven plots. There was a dramatic decline in the richness of native woody species in 2017 (10 species), when compared with observations in 1950 (27 species) and 1970 (32 species). Natives experienced substantial declines in densities, and the greatest reductions in basal area and species richness occurred in plots which previously had the highest native diversity. Only the most common native species were able to maintain their populations, and they are aging. At the same time, non-native woody species richness increased from 1950 (3 species) to 1970 (7 species) to 2017 (13 species). Non-native relative basal area also increased substantially from 1950 (9%) and 1970 (5%), to where it nearly equals native basal area currently (49%). These results indicate that despite there being no obvious change in disturbance levels since these areas were last surveyed, native Hawaiian dry forest remnants are being invaded by nearby non-natives, and will likely continue to decline if not supported by active management.

Sociocultural Change and Persistence During the Historic Period

Chapter

May 2019

Edward W. Glazier

Following colonization, rapid population growth, and increasingly complex social and political relations, the indigenous population of Hawaii began to stabilize. Some scholars argue that centuries of efficient use of natural resources had enabled development of a nation-state, with population estimates in the many hundreds of thousands. But as in other parts of Polynesia, contact with European explorers and American missionaries led to rapid population loss from disease, disruption of ancient lifeways, and other unprecedented challenges. Despite many adversities, Hawaiians continued traditional ways of life, and many secretly resisted outside sources of change. Tradition and traditional knowledge thereby came closer to the heart of the culture.

Traditional & Customary Practices Report for Manaʻe (East) Molokaʻi, Hawaiʻi

Technical Report

Full-text available

Apr 2016

Malia K. H. Akutagawa

Over the years, the people of Manaʻe (East Molokaʻi) have witnessed a notable decline in the health of their watershed. A significant part of this declining health is the degradation of the mauka (mountain) native forests, which has subsequently had a drastic effect on all of the ahupuaʻa (traditional land divisions) of Manaʻe, from mauka (mountain) to makai (sea). Ensuring the well-being of these mauka areas is essential to the preservation and perpetuation of Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices carried out in the moku (district), given the symbiotic relationship between the people and their ʻāina. Thus, Manaʻe residents are passionate about protecting their moku and the resources that sustain them. It is their protectiveness of their island that often puts them at odds with each other in deciding how best to care for her – which is at the core of this report. In 2013, the possibility of protecting Manaʻe’s mauka rainforests with a fence was proposed to the community through the draft East Slope Watershed Start-Up Management Plan (“East Slope Management Plan”), which was prepared by the East Molokaʻi Watershed Partnership (EMoWP). That plan was based on the recognition that the degradation of these mauka areas was largely attributable to an influx of habitat altering invasive plant and animal species that have significantly impacted native forests, the life that inhabits them, and the freshwater they foster. The proposed fence has elicited strong reactions from the Manaʻe community – both for and against such a fence. It also caused some community members to call for additional planning that looks at the entire moku and all of its ahupuaʻa, from mauka to makai. In response to these strong reactions, the planning process to create this report was undertaken. The purpose of this report is to accomplish the following objectives: (1) Recognize that the people of Manaʻe (East Molokaʻi) regularly exercise Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices, and document those practices. (2) Provide an explanation of Native Hawaiian legal protections pertinent to Manaʻe kamaʻāina’s traditional and customary practices. (3) Develop a framework for a community-based Subsistence and Ahupuaʻa Management Plan for the Manaʻe Moku, Mauka to Makai. (4) Summarize community recommendations for the East Molokaʻi Watershed Partnership’s East Slope Management Plan (January 2014 draft). The primary steps taken to reach these goals included: • Documentation of residents’ traditional and cultural practices in the moku of Manaʻe; • Gathering mana‘o (input) from key informants (kamaʻāina and other experts) regarding how best to protect these resources and practices; • Analysis of legal protections specific to Manaʻe families exercising Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices within their moku and ahupuaʻa; • Reconciling varied perspectives and information where possible and finding common areas of agreement in manaʻo shared by Manaʻe families in terms of traditional and modern ʻāina (land) stewardship and ahupuaʻa resource management; • Identifying the recommendations that best incorporate and honor the collective manaʻo, and weaving them into a framework for a community-based Subsistence and Ahupuaʻa Management Plan for Manaʻe, Mauka to Makai. • Summarizing community recommendations for the East Slope Management Plan.

ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication.

Feral Goats in the Hawaiian Islands: Understanding the Behavioral Ecology of Nonnative Ungulates with GPS and Remote Sensing Technology

Abstract

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